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ARIA (Allergic rhinitis and its impact on asthma) proposes an innovative patient-centered approach for rhinitis and asthma multimorbidity to be scaled up to chronic diseases. The European Union and global political agendas are of great importance in supporting supporting the digital transformation of health and care with integrated care.
The burden and cost of allergic and chronic respiratory diseases are increasing rapidly, with economies struggling to deliver modern health care effectively. Budgets will continue to be challenged with the move towards universal health coverage as demand increases and newer, more expensive technologies become available. Allergic rhinitis and asthma multimorbidity can be considered a model for chronic diseases because there is a broad agreement on the gold standard of care. In allergic rhinitis and asthma, adherence to treatment is a major unresolved problem. Patients self-treat based on their personal experiences, showing a major disconnect between physicians and patients.
Integrated care pathways (ICPs) are structured multidisciplinary care plans detailing the key steps of patient care, supporting self-care through mobile devices. Three aspects of care pathways are being developed and proposed by ARIA: (i) patient participation, health literacy and self-care through technology-assisted patient activation; (ii) implementation of care pathways by pharmacists and (iii) next-generation guidelines assessing the recommendations of guidelines in allergic rhinitis and asthma using real-world evidence obtained through mobile technology.
